Honoring Jimmy Carter
March 6, 2023
As you are probably aware, former President Jimmy Carter, age 98, has entered hospice care. That news made me reflect on his life. In 2011, I wrote a biography of Carter for readers 8-12, which I revised in 2014 in honor of Carter's 90th birthday. I read books by Carter, as well as articles and books about him, and the publisher, Zonderkidz, arranged a telephone interview for me with President Carter. It is one of the highlights of my writing career, and also one of the most intimidating. I carefully prepared a list of questions and surrounded myself with computer, cassette tape recorder, and digital recorder. (I didn't want to miss a word.) I placed the call at the agreed upon time, and the President answered the phone. We exchanged pleasantries, and then I asked my prepared questions. He was extremely courteous, patient, and generous with his time. Here's a snippet from that interview:
Q: Which of your many positions have you enjoyed the most – from governor to president to post-presidency work?
A: I think it's the post-presidency work because through the Carter Center we try to bring a better life to people in more than 70 different nations, and its given me a chance to learn much more than I ever did in my previous life about the extremely poor and deprived, suffering, and neglected people on earth. So we try to bring peace and democracy to them. We've now participated in monitoring 83 different elections in Latin America and in Asia and so forth. And we also deal with what the World Health Organization calls neglected diseases, diseases that are no longer known in the rich world but afflict hundreds of millions of people in Africa and South America so we are dealing with those diseases in the most remote villages in the desert areas and in the jungles of Africa primarily. So I think that my life since I left the White House has been the most enjoyable and gratifying and unpredictable and adventurous.
No matter what one's political persuasion or attitude toward the Carter presidency, it is impossible to find a president who has done more for the nation and the world after leaving elected office. His work with Habitat for Humanity is well known and his example has encouraged many others to join the cause. Less well known is his interest in treating and preventing neglected diseases. In 1986, the Carter Center, under his leadership, began working to elminate Guinea Worm Disease, a crippling parasitic disease caused by drinking contaminated water. At that time, 3.5 million people in 21 countries were infected annually. Today, the number of cases worldwide is just 13. Amazing, eh? The center has also worked to reduce malaria worldwide. What a remarkable legacy he will leave behind.
To Learn More: Visit The Carter Center's website.
Website for Kids: Jimmy Carter Timeline. There are some great photos here.
A Quote for Today: "We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles." ~ Jimmy Carter
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